Health

HHS secretary warns about future without COVID-19 funding

Published

2 years ago

March 18, 2022

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Well being and Human Companies (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra warned Thursday about the US’ future with out COVID-19 funding.

In an interview with The Related Press, the previous California lawyer normal stated that America has reached a “pivotal level” within the third 12 months of the pandemic.

BIDEN NAMES NEW COVID-19 RESPONSE COORDINATOR WITH JEFF ZIENTS STEPPING DOWN

“How effectively we pivot is on us,” he cautioned, noting that with out the cash for life-saving vaccines, assessments and coverings America can be “caught on the bottom.”

In his State of the Union deal with, President Biden offered a COVID-19 initiative for a brand new and “extra regular” part of the pandemic.

The administration’s Nationwide COVID-19 Preparedness Plan – launched earlier this month – focuses on 4 key objectives, together with defending in opposition to and treating the illness, getting ready for brand new variants, stopping financial and academic shutdowns and persevering with to guide the trouble to vaccinate the world.

Well being and Human Companies Secretary Xavier Becerra, is interviewed by the Related Press, Thursday, March 17, 2022, in Washington.
(AP Photograph/Jacquelyn Martin)

The plan contains “Check to Deal with,” which permits Individuals to get examined for coronavirus at a pharmacy and obtain antiviral capsules “on the spot for gratis” if they’re constructive.

The president famous that vaccine-maker Pfizer Inc. is presently “working additional time” to get Individuals 1,000,000 capsules in March and greater than double that quantity in April.

Becerra stated {that a} funding deadlock with lawmakers might hamper “Check to Deal with,” including that HHS is attempting additionally to arrange to ensure that hundreds of thousands to not lose medical health insurance if their eligibility for Medicaid lapses when the federal government ends the nationwide COVID-19 public well being emergency.

The White Home and Capitol Hill are presently deadlocked over requests for help and Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., scrapped pandemic help from the huge $1.5 trillion spending invoice signed by the president on Tuesday.

PFIZER-BIONTECH SEEK AUTHORIZATION FOR SECOND COVID-19 BOOSTER

Biden had initially requested for $22.5 billion which later grew to become a $15.6 billion bundle, however objections from each Democrats and Republicans have saved a deal from going by means of.

On Thursday, Pelosi referred to as on the White Home to request $45 billion in COVID-19 reduction.

“I believe they need to be double what they requested for, as a result of even once they have been asking for like 20-some [billion dollars] it was solely going to get us to June,” Pelosi advised reporters, in response to The Hill.

The White Home says that the cash for some efforts will run out by the tip of the month, with free COVID-19 look after the uninsured additionally in danger.

Becerra stated {that a} return to “regular dwelling” will solely work “if everybody does their half.”

If not, he stated that Individuals ought to put together, highlighting that the scientists have “communicated fairly clearly with the American folks what to do” at the same time as others “[decide] to slant or skew the message, or utterly distort in methods which can be unfaithful.”

“We have now to get to some extent the place we consider the well being standing of the nation and of our folks is sufficiently stabilized,” Becerra concluded. “I believe we’re getting nearer and nearer to that time the place we see no must have these 5 alarms.”

The Related Press contributed to this report.

Health

Orangutan in Indonesian rainforest treats own facial wound, say researchers: ‘Appeared intentional’

Published

3 hours ago

May 9, 2024

Press Room

Orangutan in Indonesian rainforest treats own facial wound, say researchers: ‘Appeared intentional’

An orangutan in a protected Indonesian rainforest site who sustained a facial wound treated the injury himself, according to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports earlier this month.

The male primate chewed the leaves of a plant known for its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and pain-relieving properties — then applied a paste he made from the chewed leaves to his facial wound, according to the study.

The researchers — from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany and Universitas Nasional in Indonesia — observed the orangutan, named Rakus, over the course of several weeks in the summer of 2022.

GORILLA, JUST 4 MONTHS OLD, DELIGHTS ZOO VISITORS WITH FUNNY FACES: ‘VERY HAPPY’

His wound closed within five days, he noted.

Less than a month later, it appeared to be fully healed with a barely visible scar, according to the published report.

An orangutan that sustained a facial wound, shown on the left, treated it himself, according to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports earlier this month. In the image on the right, his scar is just barely noticeable. (Armas Fitra & Safruddin & TNGL & KLHK & MPI & UNAS & YEL)

This is the first observed case of active wound treatment with a “known biologically active plant substance” applied by a male Sumatran orangutan in the wild.

“He began chewing the leaves without swallowing them and using his fingers to apply the plant juice from his mouth directly onto his facial wound,” the researchers noted in their published study.

“This behavior was repeated several times.”

‘KITTENS’ DROPPED OFF AT ARIZONA HUMANE SOCIETY TURNED OUT TO BE SOMETHING ELSE

“Rakus then smeared the entire wound with the plant pulp until the red flesh was fully covered with the green leaf material. He then continued feeding on this plant,” they continued.

The orangutan was observed at the Suaq Balimbing research site in Indonesia.

It is a rainforest area that is home to approximately 150 critically endangered Sumatran orangutans, according to a news release.

“The behavior of the Sumatran flanged male orangutan reported here appeared to be intentional,” the researchers wrote.

“The entire process took a considerable amount of time.”

The study authors said the animal’s facial wound likely occurred during a fight with a neighboring male.

TIKTOK TRENDING QUESTION ABOUT ‘BEING STUCK IN A FOREST’ WITH ‘A MAN OR A BEAR’ YIELDS STRATEGIC TIPS

Isabelle Laumer, a primatologist and cognitive biologist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany — one of the lead study authors — said in an email to Fox News Digital that the primate used a climbing plant called Fibraurea tinctoria.

The plant is known for its analgesic effects and is used in traditional medicine to treat conditions such as malaria.`

When asked how Rakus knew to use that plant to treat his own wound, Laumer replied, “It is possible that wound treatment with Fibraurea tinctoria emerges through accidental individual innovation.”

She added, “Individuals may accidentally touch their wounds while feeding on Fibraurea tinctoria and thus unintentionally apply the plant’s juice to their wounds … As Fibraurea tinctoria has potent analgesic effects, Rakus may have felt an immediate pain release, causing him to repeat the behavior several times and subsequently apply solid plant matter.”

UTAH CAT ACCIDENTALLY SHIPPED IN AN AMAZON RETURN BOX, FOUND 650 MILES FROM HOME BY WAREHOUSE WORKER

Rakus was not born at the research site, Laumer said.

Male orangutans typically disperse over wide distances when they reach puberty to establish a new home in another area, the expert noted.

“It’s possible that orangutans at his native area showed the behavior,” Laumer said.

Dr. Isabelle Laumer, a primatologist and cognitive biologist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany, was one of the lead study authors. (Alice Auersperg)

Similar types of self-treatment have been reported in the past with other primates.

Great apes have reportedly ingested certain plants to treat parasite infections and rubbed plant material on their skin to treat sore muscles, the researchers noted.

“Maybe we can learn something about human medicine from them.”

A group of chimpanzees in Gabon was also observed applying insects to wounds, although “the efficiency of this behavior is still unknown,” according to a news release.

These types of observations could help humans with treating potential health conditions, the researchers said.

The study authors said Rakus’ facial wound likely occurred during an altercation with a neighboring male. (Saidi Agam & TNGL & KLHK & MPI & UNAS & YEL)

“So far, I have heard several reports that people have actually learned about the medicinal properties of plants through observing animals,” Laumer told Fox News Digital.

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Dr. Robin Sturtz, a veterinarian who was not involved in the study, commented on the findings.

“It’s great that they caught these images,” she told Fox News Digital, but noted that the published report is observational.

The primate used a climbing plant called Fibraurea tinctoria, the researchers said, to help a facial wound to heal. (Saidi Agam & TNGL & KLHK & MPI & UNAS & YEL)

“We need to see if it’s repeated in this or another animal,” Sturtz told Fox News Digital.

“They are incredibly smart, though, and do learn quickly,” she added. “Maybe we can learn something about human medicine from them.”

Caroline Schuppli, one of the co-authors of the published study, noted in a news release that forms of active wound treatment are not limited to humans.

“[They] can also be found in both African and Asian great apes,” she stated.

“It is possible that there exists a common underlying mechanism for the recognition and application of substances with medical or functional properties to wounds, and that our last common ancestor already showed similar forms of ointment behavior.”

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

Amy McGorry is a contributing health writer for Fox News Digital. Follow her on Twitter @amymcgorry.

Health

Sleep experts sound alarm on late night screen time: How your phone could be sabotaging your rest

Published

10 hours ago

May 9, 2024

Press Room

Sleep experts sound alarm on late night screen time: How your phone could be sabotaging your rest

More than half of Americans use their phones within an hour before bedtime, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Experts recommend shutting off devices earlier for better quality of sleep.
Breaking the habit involves redesigning nighttime routines by replacing screen time with activities like reading or spending time with family.

Like many of us, Jessica Peoples has heard the warnings about excessive screen time at night. Still, she estimates spending 30 to 60 minutes on her phone before going to sleep, mostly scrolling through social media.

“Recently, I’ve been trying to limit the amount,” says Peoples, a discrimination investigator with the state of New Jersey. “I do notice that how much time I spend affects how long it takes to fall asleep.”

Over half of Americans spend time on their phones within an hour of going to sleep, according to a survey by the National Sleep Foundation. That’s the very latest we should shut off devices, experts say.

‘BED ROTTING’ IS SELF-CARE, SOME INSIST, BUT MENTAL HEALTH EXPERT SHARES WARNINGS ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA TREND

The brain needs to wind down long before bedtime to get the restorative deep sleep that helps the body function, said Melissa Milanak, an associate professor at Medical University of South Carolina specializing in sleep health.

James Walter uses a phone at home in the Queens borough of New York, on April 7, 2021. Sleep scientists long ago established that insufficient sleep is linked with poor health outcomes, anxiety, obesity and several other negative effects. The research is equally conclusive that smartphones are particularly disruptive to the circadian clock that regulates sleep and other hormones. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski, File)

“You wouldn’t take a casserole out of the oven and stick it right in the fridge. It needs to cool down,” Milanak said. “Our brains need to do that too.”

Upending your bedtime routine may not be easy, but insufficient sleep has long been linked to anxiety, obesity and other negative outcomes. Research shows smartphones are particularly disruptive to the circadian clock that regulates sleep and other hormones.

“There are a million and one ways screens create problems with sleep,” said Lisa Strauss, a licensed psychologist specializing in cognitive behavioral treatment of sleep disorders.

The brain, she said, processes electric light — not just a smartphone’s much-maligned blue light — as sunshine. That suppresses melatonin production, delaying deep sleep. Even very little bright-light exposure in bed has an impact.

IT’S NOT JUST THE LIGHT THAT KEEPS YOU UP

Of course, doomscrolling through the news, checking emails or being tempted by ever more tailored videos on social media has its own consequences.

So-called “technostress” amps you up — possibly even triggering the brain’s flight or flight response. And algorithms designed to be engaging compel many social media users to scroll longer than they intended.

“Now it’s 30 minutes later, when you wanted to watch a couple videos and fall asleep,” Milanak said.

Though much of the scientific research on online media focuses on adolescents and young adults, Strauss said most of her clients struggling with insomnia are middle-aged. “People go down these rabbit holes of videos, and more and more people are getting hooked,” she said.

HOW TO BREAK THE HABIT

The issue is not just curtailing phone use in bed, but phone use at night. That means redesigning your routine, particularly if you use your phone as a way to decompress.

It helps to create replacement behaviors that are rewarding. An obvious contender is reading a physical book (e-readers are better than phones but still cast artificial light). Milanak also suggests using that hour before bed to take a warm bath, listen to a podcast, make school lunches for the next day, spend time with family or call a relative in another time zone.

“Make a list of things you like that never get done. That’s a great time to do stuff that doesn’t involve screens,” she said. Using a notepad to write down the to-do list for the next day helps keep you from ruminating in bed.

Do those activities in another room to train yourself to associate the bed with falling asleep. If there’s no other private refuge at home, “establish a distinct microenvironment for wakefulness and sleep,” Strauss said. That could mean sitting on the other side of the bed to read, or even just turning the other way around with your feet at the headboard.

Finally, sequester the phone in another room, or at least across the room. “Environmental control can work better than will power, especially when we’re tired,” she said.

WHAT IF STOPPING DOESN’T FEEL REALISTIC?

There are ways to reduce the harm. Setting the phone on night mode at a scheduled time every day is better than nothing, as is reducing screen brightness every night. Hold the phone far from your face and at an oblique angle to minimize the strength of the light.

Minimize tempting notifications by putting the phone on do not disturb, which can be adjusted to allow calls and messages from certain people — say, an ailing parent or a kid off at university — to go through. But none of these measures give you carte blanche to look at whatever you want at night, Strauss said.

She also recommended asking yourself why checking social media has become your late-night reward.

“Think about the larger structure of the day,” she said. Everyone deserves solitary moments to relax, but “maybe be more self-indulgent earlier so you have what you need.”

Health

Handling grief on Mother's Day, plus disease-fighting foods and heart health risks

Published

17 hours ago

May 8, 2024

Press Room

Handling grief on Mother's Day, plus disease-fighting foods and heart health risks

Mother’s Day is a celebration for most, but it can be tough for those who have recently lost their mother. Experts share tips for handling the rush of emotions. (iStock)

MISSING MOM – The first Mother’s Day after losing a mom can be challenging. A mental health expert shares five tips for navigating grief during the holiday. Continue reading…

ABCs of BETTER ZZZs – A sleep hack circulating on social media could help you drift off faster at night. Plus, sleep experts share their own tips. Continue reading…

SEEING RED – A short temper could make you more susceptible to a heart attack, a new study suggests. Cardiologists weigh in on the risk. Continue reading…

Feeling angry for as little as eight minutes a day could raise your chances of experiencing a cardiac event, according to a new study. (iStock)

MOM ON A MISSION – A Pennsylvania mother is urging people to join the bone marrow registry to help her 10-year-old daughter, along with other patients waiting on donations. Continue reading…

ASK A DOC – ‘Is it safe to crack my back or neck?’ Doctors share cautions. Continue reading…

FOOD FOR THOUGHT – Eating at least three servings of yogurt per week could reduce the risk of a common disease, according to the FDA. Nutritionists share the benefits. Continue reading…

Yogurt that contains live, active cultures is a great way to get good bacteria in your diet, according to a nutritionist. (iStock)

SENIOR SCREENINGS – Health officials recommend mammograms for women aged 40 to 74 – but why are senior women excluded? Medical experts explain. Continue reading…

HOLY GUACAMOLE! – Eating more avocado could help prevent the risk of a common disease in women, some claim. Here’s what you should know. Continue reading…

VACCINE SHORTAGE – As a bacterial infection spreads globally, some public health officials are calling for a ramp-up of vaccine production. Continue reading…